Work Experience

Lead strategic communications, public affairs, civic engagement, digital governance, resident response, executive messaging, media relations, and public information initiatives for a municipal government. Advise executive leadership and elected officials, coordinate cross-departmental messaging, supervise communications staff, and build systems that strengthen transparency, public trust, accessibility, and resident understanding of City priorities.

Executive Communications, Public Affairs & Organizational Alignment

• Advise executive leadership and elected officials on strategic communications, public affairs, media relations, crisis communications, reputation management, and community engagement.

• Prepare Mayor and Council talking points, executive messaging, public statements, resident correspondence, web content, social media copy, briefing materials, and event communications.

• Translate complex policy decisions, infrastructure projects, budget priorities, public safety updates, service changes, and community initiatives into clear and accessible public information.

• Coordinate across departments to create consistent messaging that reflects Council priorities, organizational goals, community values, and resident needs.

Community Engagement, Digital Strategy & Public Trust

• Manage resident-facing digital communications, including the City website, Engage Palm Desert, digital accessibility, online project information, and community engagement pages.

• Serve as a resident and stakeholder liaison, coordinating across departments to resolve concerns, improve responsiveness, and strengthen confidence in City services.

• Lead civic engagement efforts, including the Civic Academy, Coffee with the Mayor, community meetings, project outreach, public events, and regional partner communications.

Leadership, Public Information & Modernization

• Supervise communications staff and foster a collaborative, service-oriented team culture focused on accuracy, responsiveness, and professionalism.

• Perform emergency public information and crisis communications as Emergency Operations Center PIO.

• Manage and support multi-channel communications across web, print, social media, newsletters, video, public events, digital engagement platforms, and media relations to ensure City messaging is clear, consistent, timely, and accessible.

• Draft and coordinate press releases, media advisories, talking points, interview preparation, public statements, and issue briefings across City priorities, programs, events, infrastructure projects, and reputation-sensitive matters.

Provided executive-level administrative, communications, program, stakeholder engagement, and policy support to Members of Congress, agency executives, and the Board of Trustees for a congressional international leadership organization.

• Advised executive leadership on organizational priorities, program development, communications, stakeholder engagement, and operational strategy. 

• Managed digital communications, newsletters, publications, annual reports, executive correspondence, official messaging, and media-related materials for agency audiences. 

• Created briefing materials, reports, correspondence, and meeting documents for congressional appropriations requests, hearings, briefings, official meetings, and other policy-related matters. 

• Held a federal security clearance and managed scheduling, protocol, and relationship coordination for international dignitaries, senior military leaders, foreign officials, and heads of state. 

Pursued an immersive international chapter combining professional work, independent global travel, and graduate study, building adaptability, cross-cultural communication, and a global policy perspective directly relevant to public affairs work.

• Supported a high-profile national television personality and her events company (The Big Group) in Melbourne, designing programs and leading event logistics for reputation-sensitive clients and public-facing engagements. 

• Traveled independently across 42 countries, developing firsthand cross-cultural communication skills and a global perspective on governance, public institutions, and community engagement.

• Completed a Master of Science in International Relations at the University of Edinburgh, deepening expertise in policy analysis and international governance.

Provided executive-level support and led public outreach and event strategy for a major university institution, managing high-profile engagements and building a new business function from the ground up.

• Directed outreach strategy and administered 700+ annual public author events, coordinating logistics, messaging, and stakeholder communications for large-scale community engagement.

• Launched the business-to-business outreach division independently.

• Managed events for high-profile public figures, VIP guests, and nationally recognized speakers, requiring discretion and reputation-sensitive communications. 

• Provided executive-level administrative support to senior leadership, building foundational skills in executive communications and organizational coordination.